BROKEN ARROW, Okla — Broken Arrow voters approve $415 million GO Bond projects but reject Proposition 8 sales tax increase
Broken Arrow voters approved seven of eight propositions in the $415 million 'GO Bond', but rejected Proposition 8, which included a temporary sales tax hike and softball complex upgrades.
WATCH: Broken Arrows approves 7 of 8 propositions in $415 million bond package
Propositions 1 through 7 passed, keeping property taxes the same. The approved measures will push forward road improvements, public safety upgrades, a new community center, facility revitalizations, flood prevention, and library expansion.
Previous Coverage>>>BA GO Bond includes two projects to expand local military institutions
City leaders called the vote a strong step toward addressing growth and infrastructure needs without raising sales taxes.
"Truly generational about this bond package. It’s not just about today, it’s where we’re going to be 10 years from now," Debra Wimpee, mayor of Broken Arrow, said.
Proposition 8, which tied sports complex improvements to a temporary half-cent sales tax hike, failed. The city must now look for other funding sources to modernize the Arrowhead Softball Complex.
Previous Coverage>>>GO BOND: Broken Arrow voters to decide on a $415 million bond April 7
"It’s just going to take a really long time for any of that to get taken care of, and it’s really unfortunate," Wimpee said.
Opponents argued the half-cent sales tax hike would push shoppers to nearby cities and weigh on families already facing high prices.
"And those people from Coweta may stop coming to Broken Arrow to shop because it's not much lower there than it would be in Coweta. And now in Tulsa, in the Wagner County side, our tax rate's going to be even a tick higher than that. It's too high," Brent Watson, an opponent, said.
City officials said plans for the softball complex will be revisited. For now, the focus shifts to executing the approved projects, with officials promising transparency and regular updates to residents.
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